Australia's Pink Lake, and Other Oddly Colored Bodies of Water

From salt lakes in Africa to volcano pools in Indonesia, these stunning bodies of water feature every color of the rainbow.

Peyto Lake

Alberta, Canada

Picture-perfect Peyto Lake in Banff National Park gets its color from rock flour that fill its waters. These tiny bits of glacial sediment turn the lake an almost unreal-looking shade of turquoise.

Hells of Beppu

Beppu, Ōita, Japan

The hot springs at Beppu, referred to colloquially as the Hells of Beppu, are located on Japan’s Kyushu Island. The eight springs range in color from turquoise to rust. Chinoike Jigoku (Bloody Hell Pond) is a must-see—it boils blood red, as its name would suggest.

This U.S. National Wildlife Refuge on the southern end of the San Francisco Bay offers plenty of sights on foot, but to see its most impressive feature, you'll have to go up in the air. The Cargill-managed salt evaporation ponds located within this 30,000-acre park can take on just about any color of the rainbow depending on their salinity levels and which microorganisms are thriving in them at the time of viewing.

Emerald Lakes

North Island, New Zealand

Tongariro National Park on New Zealand’s North Island has earned two UNESCO World Heritage designations and is also the oldest national park in the country. Within the park lies the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, a 12-mile hiking route that takes you past the Emerald Lakes of Mt. Tongariro. The gorgeous green lakes get their color from the dissolved volcanic minerals in the water.

Laguna Colorada

Potosí, Bolivia

Bolivia’s Laguna Colorada, which translates to "Red Lagoon", is a shallow salt lake that contains brackish water the color of rust. The lake is located within the Eduardo Avaroa Andean Fauna National Reserve, which is also home to the equally colorful Laguna Verde ("Green Lake").

Grand Prismatic Spring

Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

The largest hot spring in the United States also happens to be one of the most colorful bodies of water in the world. The Grand Prismatic Spring's colorful water is a rainbow of coloration caused by pigmented bacteria and can range from red to blue.

Lake Hillier

Middle Island, Australia

The pinkness of Australia’s Lake Hillier remains a bit of a mystery, although theories about its cause are plenty (most scientists blame the bacteria living there). One thing is undeniable: This high-salinity lake is as bright pink as bubble gum. Located on Middle Island in the Recherche Archipelago, Lake Hillier’s rosy color contrasts spectacularly with the stark white and the lush green of the surrounding beach and forest.

Lake Pukaki

South Island, New Zealand

The vibrancy of Lake Pukaki on New Zealand’s South Island is enough to dull the clearest blue sky. This large alpine lake gets its color from the fine-grained minerals running off of the surrounding glaciers.

Lake Retba

Cap Vert, Senegal

Also known as Lac Rose, Lake Retba is named for its rosy-pink hue. Its high salinity makes it a perfect home for Dunaliella salina algae, which give the lake its famous color.

Lakes at Band-e Amir

Bamyan Province, Afghanistan

Surrounded by the Hindu Kush mountains and located within Afghanistan’s first national park, the lakes at Band-e Amir are postcard-perfect deep blue. There are six lakes in total, all of which are separated by natural travertine dams.

Salt Lakes

Tozeur, Tunisia

This rusty oasis on the edge of the Sahara Desert consists of three salt lakes: Chott el Fedjedj, Chott el Djerid (pictured), and Chott el Gharsa. Located south of the Atlas Mountains, these dry lakes can take on a variety of colors, including red, when filled with water.

Yamdrok Yumtso Lake

Tibet, China

Yamdrok Tso is almost too blue to be true. This sacred lake, home to the Samding Monastery, is located at an elevation of 4,750 feet in Tibet and is only made more picturesque by the mountains surrounding it.

Kelimutu

Flores Island, Indonesia

On Flores Island sits Kelimutu, a volcano whose summit is home to three colorful crater lakes of varying red, green, and blue hues. Despite their similar location and elevation, the lakes take on distinctly different colors believed to be caused by chemical reactions from volcanic gas activity.